P-C Editorial: Overhaul Iowa's marijuana laws

For the past few years — as we've advocated for a statewide regulatory system for medical marijuana — we've stopped short of advocating for legalizing the drug for recreational use. And we still think New Mexico's medical cannabis program would provide a workable model for how Iowa could help its citizens suffering from chronic illness without falling into the pitfalls of the programs in states such as California.

But the full-on legalization of the drug in Colorado and Washington has pulled back the curtain even further on the myths about marijuana being somehow more dangerous (supposedly more prone to abuse, supposedly more likely to serve as a gateway to other addictions) than either tobacco or alcohol. And although we would want to ensure that local governments maintain the right to prohibit marijuana dispensaries within their jurisdictions, we can't continue the façade that marijuana somehow has more in common with cocaine and morphine than it does with liquor and cigarettes.

As the New York Times Editorial Board noted earlier this summer, "There is honest debate among scientists about the health effects of marijuana, but we believe that the evidence is overwhelming that addiction and dependence are relatively minor problems, especially compared with alcohol and tobacco. Moderate use of marijuana does not appear to pose a risk for otherwise healthy adults. Claims that marijuana is a gateway to more dangerous drugs are as fanciful as the 'Reefer Madness' images of murder, rape and suicide."

If we've been hesitant about calling for full-on legislation of marijuana, it's largely because such a step seems so utterly unlikely to happen in Iowa. After all, it took the Iowa Legislature 35 years just to take smallest of baby-steps toward acknowledging that marijuana has medicinal value.

Yet, we can't stand by while Gov. Terry Branstad and other state politicians keep redrawing a line in the sand and basically say, "We're allowing marijuana-derived medication for severe epilepsy only. That's it. Enjoy your tiny victory because we're never bringing up this topic again."

If that's their starting point for negotiations, then it's time to make sure those state leaders understand that the comparable extreme isn't medical marijuana; it's full-on legalization. Implementing a workable, medical marijuana program in Iowa is merely a commonsense, compromise position. One backed by healthy majority of Iowa voters.

Medical marijuana has become the equivalent of a "civil union" option at a time when states — like Iowa — finally are recognizing full-fledged marriage equality as a civil right.

Back in 1979 — when the first medical marijuana bill was introduced in the Legislature — it was understandable for state lawmakers to be somewhat hesitant about leading the way into the largely unchartered waters of partial legalization. After all, it was unclear how the federal government would respond to such state initiatives.

But since then, the path has been well paved by more than 20 other states, and the U.S. Justice Department, under Attorney General Eric Holder, stated last year that the federal government will not intervene in the implementation of state medical cannabis programs, as long as the activities are covered under state law.

Yes, there are many challenging social and legal questions that would need to be answered if Iowa were to legalize marijuana. As with alcohol, we think sales should be restricted to people 21 or older. And scientists, doctors and engineers — like those at the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator — would need to increase the pace of their work in establishing acceptable limits (and reliable testing methods) for figuring out just how much marijuana in one's system constitutes being too stoned to drive.

But maintaining a status quo based on misinformation is no longer an option.

If Iowa doesn't approve full-on legalization, lawmakers, at the very least, must overhaul the state's possession laws — which are among the harshest in the nation. And the "line in the sand" crowd needs to admit that it's become impossible for them to argue credibly that marijuana has "no accepted medical use for treatment."

If it takes more people calling for full legalization to push Iowa into finally making progress toward that compromise on marijuana, then sign us up.